Reciprocating pump assemblies typically include fluid end blocks or fluid cylinders and inlet and outlet valves disposed therein. During operation, the inlet and outlet valves typically experience high loads and frequencies. In some cases, valve seats of the inlet and outlet valves, as well as portions of the fluid cylinder engaged therewith, may be subjected to highly concentrated cyclic loads and thus may fatigue to failure. Moreover, it is sometimes difficult to remove valve seats from the fluid cylinder for replacement, which difficulty may result in damage to the fluid cylinder. Further, when replacing a worn valve seat or producing a new pump assembly, an incorrect valve seat may unintentionally be disposed in the fluid cylinder, which may hurt pump performance and possibly damage the fluid cylinder or valve seat. In many cases, this mix-up of parts is possible because differences between valve seats may not be easily discernable upon visual inspection. Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus or method that addresses one or more of the foregoing issues, among others.